Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-10-19
GEN. BRADFORD HERE.

Our people were considerably sur
prised, last Wednesday, when Attor-
ney General Bradford arrived here
from Topeka, though a rumor had been
circulated that he was coming, i'm an
swer to telegram sent him by Hon.
L. a. McNeal, and other enthusiastic
republican prohibitionists OF this city.
On Thursday Gen. Bradford opened
small court Of inquiry on his own
hook. assisted by several local legal lu-
minaries and few busy-bodies, who
appeared to think that Medicine Lodge
was on the broad road to ruin, on a
down grade. and that they were needed
by the Attorney General to assist him
in applying the air brakes.
During the day as many as forty wit
nesses were examined as to their knowl-
edge Of the unlawful sale of intoxicants
in this city. Tue names of the witnesses
were furnished by the lockers on, it is
understood, and by others on the out
side, who did not have the nerve to even
appear before the attorney general as
spectators, for fear OF mourning the
displeasure of some one, or for fear OF
losing few dollars in their business.
BY coincidence not then explained,
about nine out of every ten witnesses
were democrats. 1t has since leaked
out that this was part Of the original
programme, and that under no circum-
stances were prominent republicans,
and especially republican candidates,
To be subpOenaed as witnesses.
The result of the inquiry, as we I'M
derstand it, was to find sufficient evil
dence against four persons or firms to
warrant complaints being filed against
them for selling liquor contrary to law.
These four are understood to be Upde-
graf X Smith, G.. j. Southworth, NJ.
Strong and r. L. Lee. Up to this time
no complaints have been filed against
any Of these persons. and it is reported
that nothing more will be done in the
cases until after the election.
The intention was, we understand, to
force the cases into court at the pres
ent term; but Metropolitan candidates
protested, and declared that they would
certainly be defeated il the attorney
general was not called off. He was
called off, 1t appears, and here the mat
ter rests for the present.
The INDEX believes in the impartial
enforcement of all laws on the statute
books. We believe that 1t is wrong to
sell liquor contrary to law. We think
that q. persons engaged in the unlaw-
ful sale of liquor should get out of the
business, and thus save themselves
trouble and expense. But while we
believe these things, we also believe
that Medicine Lodge was not such a
SOdom Of sinfulness that it was neces-
sary to call for tie wrath Of an aveng-
ing God, or fOr the judgment of the
partisan attorney general. We do not
think 1t right or proper for citizens who
derive their bread and butter from this
community to advertise it to the world
as a place where the laws are openly
violated, and where 1t is necessary to
resort to extraordinary means to purify
the social atmosphere.
The county has elected, and 10 pay
ing county attorney to look after all
violations Of law. 1t is the duty of
every good citizen, who knows that anu
law has been violated, to go up, like
men, and make complaint before the
county attorney. That officer recently
expressed, in public, In q church, his
willingness to examine into all COM
plants made to him, and until he neg
lects or refuses to do so, it is not nee
essary to call in outsiders to do the work
he is paid to do.
Only two weeks ago the county at
torney heard of persons who were COM
planning vigorously about violations of
the prohibitory law. They should have
gone to him, but did not. He went to
them, and insisted on hearing a COM
plant, but they refused to make any.
If any man of common courage knows
of a violation of law that he is tank
iOus to have enforced, he will not OBJ
ject to his name being used as the in
former. 1t is only the sneak and the
coward who would shove the response
bility on his neighbors, while he stands
in the background and makes sugges-
tions.
We think it was a mistake to have
Gen. Bradford come here; and while
we hate to think that his coming was
arranged by scheming republican poll
ticians, who expected to gain political
notoriety by the visit, it certainly looks
that way now.
1t seems that they saw that the dem
ocratic candidates weFe the real tenn
perance candidates in the campaign,
and, TO break the ranks that were rush
ing to their support, they, the republic
can bosses, must do something, That
something was to cry aloud that the
democratic county attorney was not
enforcing the law, and therefore it was
necessary to have republican attorney
general come here and shut the whisky
joints.
-=zEzrrznEuu
Think of George Sexton invested
with the powers OF county surveyor!